Low interest loan for Business School

Hi All-

While working I have saved enough to cover most of the costs I expect to incur while in Business School over the next two years. This leaves me with two options: 1) Have the funds conservatively invested and slowly remove money as needed to pay Bschool expenses, while still keeping market exposure for the money that wont be needed until late in the program. Or 2) Use the funds as collateral to take out a low interest loan (I've been quoted for ~3%) which is far more favorable than the, as I understand it, typical 9%. This would allow me to keep the funds fully invested for the duration of b-school. As long as I anticipate a market return in excess of 3%, including a margin of safety, then presumably this would be an attractive option.

Any current or past MBA's have experience with this? Any thoughts?

Appreciate your input

6 Comments
 
Best Response

9%? Federal PLUS loans are fixed at ~6.5%. Unless you don't have access to those for some reason, I'm not sure why you'd pay more. Also, if you're using personal savings as collateral, are you allowed to invest it? With an 18-24 month time horizon, do you really have a capital-preserving investment option with >5% return?

On the positive side, you'll be able to take the student loan interest deduction. Also, many states offer tax-advantaged 529 plan. In IL, for example, you'll get a 5% deduction on up to $20k/yr invested = $1,000 x 3 yrs = $3k. Put it in, take it out a week later, claim deduction.

I'm not particularly risk averse, but I would leave it in a low risk account (1%) and withdraw as needed.

 

Et ut distinctio quaerat omnis. Et iusto autem qui veniam non pariatur qui. Iste dignissimos incidunt dolorum et nam eum. Ea qui perferendis sed.

Atque temporibus et quia corporis. Quo eveniet nisi ut et dolor illum commodi nesciunt. Ut illum odit qui quae incidunt.

Consequatur provident eaque eos voluptate necessitatibus. Est et voluptate cupiditate quaerat assumenda rerum. Placeat sunt consequatur sit molestias iste ex non. Nihil recusandae repellendus molestiae dolores autem. Ut debitis quia magnam distinctio. Et quo et reprehenderit consequuntur aut unde.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (53) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”